On the weekend I had a couple of little projects to complete in the garage. One was installing a bracket to hang my ladder on. (This has been a way overdue project.) I finally bought the bracket and set out to install it…
Half way through the second screw, my drill gave out. The battery was out of juice. No problem! I switched to the back up, but it was out of juice as well.
Eager to complete the task and not wanting to go into the basement to find an old school screwdriver, I grabbed the other tool I had at hand – my hammer. While it did the job, it was not pretty or efficient as it would have been, had I waited the hour for a fully charged battery pack.
Okay, so yes, I’ll admit I’m not Mr. Fixit. But it did get me thinking about using the right tool for the job. I remember not having the right tool at other times and specifically recalled a time when I was trying to take some old wood apart that had nails and screws holding it in place. Again, I just used the hammer, and again not the best outcome.
I realized this happens in business a lot. I constantly come across entrepreneurs that, as I have done on many occasions, did not use the right skill set to accomplish a certain task. The years in businesses past where I thought everything could work out with just a hammer (i.e. just me and my skills or lack of). Having a team is so much better! For instance, this post originated with me, was edited by someone else and posted by yet another.
Using the right tools for the job, whatever they may be, ensures a greater outcome in the long run.
Gary Evans
